Friday, November 7, 2014

Read about Kayla and the "Knights of Stone" in this unusual paranormal romance

I'm delighted to bring to you one of the coolest stories I've heard about in a long time: Knights of Stone, Book 1 of the Highland Gargoyles series by Lisa Carlisle

Gargoyles,
tree witches, and wolf shifters have divided the Isle of Stone after a great
battle twenty-five years ago. When Kayla, a tree witch, hears about the
unconventional rock concerts in the gargoyle territory, she sneaks from her
coven and into their lands to see for herself. Night after night, she
returns to see one in particular shift into human form and play guitar at these exciting shows.

For
several nights, Mason has kept watch for the pixie-like female. He plans to
seduce her, thinking she’s a visitor from another island. When he discovers
she’s one of the tree witches, he retreats, attempting to keep his distance.
The temptation is strong, but forbidden.

Kayla
and Mason attempt to meet in secret, but other elements on the isle command
their attention. A magical cloak created by the three clans on the island is
thinning, leading to repercussions for all the clans. Kayla and Mason are
caught in the middle of it, and their actions may change the fate for all.

This
novella was originally released as part of the USA Today bestselling Highland
Shifters paranormal romance boxed set.

Excerpt:

A stagehand with
tartan draped over one shoulder climbed onto the stage and walked to the
closest statue. He fastened the kilt over its shoulder and around its waist
with a thick belt, covering the statue’s massive thighs. Kayla flushed,
picturing why the coverings were necessary once the transformation began. The
kilt had become a key detail in her fantasies about the guitarist, since it was
the only clothing he wore. The stagehand continued dressing each statue with
the same brilliant blue tartan worn by the gargoyle clan.

The last vestige of
sunlight disappeared from the sky, and night draped the stage like a closing
curtain. The statues loomed, dark silhouettes barely discernible by the
crescent moon with the backdrop of the craggy cliffs and the rugged peaks of
waves in the Atlantic Ocean behind them. The murmur of voices was replaced by
silence. Waiting…

Five torches blazed
on the stage all at once, lit by an unseen force. The audience erupted in
cheers as the dancing lights from the flickering fire basked the statues. The
flames lowered, casting the gargoyles in an eerie, almost reverent glow.

Movement. So slight,
Kayla wondered if it was simply a play of light and shadows in her anticipation
for the change. She fixed her gaze on the statue in front of her, the one she’d
gravitated to each time she had sneaked out to see the show. Its massive gray
form stood straight on two legs built for sturdiness. Its chest jutted out
proudly. Gray wings with detailed feathers etched in the stone arched from a
point below its shoulder blades. Eyes cast straight ahead on a face that
appeared to be a mixture of canine and lion. Its right hand twitched, so
slightly she would have missed it if she hadn’t stared so intently. Then a
clawed foot inched forward.

Murmurs of
astonishment burst from the crowd as the transformation began. Their cries of
fervor grew louder as the monstrous statues transformed into taller, slimmer
figures with the bronzed skin of warriors who battled under the midday sun. The
tartan fabric fell over their thighs as they stood erect, covering their
nudity.

Kayla barely
blinked, mesmerized as always, as the statue before her stood to full height,
taking on the form of a human male, but with beautiful raven wings. Hair just
as black snaked rebelliously past his chin. The stony eyes flickered with
animation, turning to a mossy green. His deep gaze seared the audience, seeming
to burn anything in the path. When he found Kayla, he stopped. His expression
was unreadable, but the intensity in his unblinking eyes made her swallow. She
froze under the scrutiny as if hypnotized, unable to break eye contact. Her
stomach lurched, heart pounded, and every muscle in her body tightened, fueled with
blood now scorching through her veins. His penetrating appraisal affected her
so. When his eyes took on a smoldering glint, her skin tingled and a red-hot
awareness grew between her thighs.

He broke the stare
and continued to assess the audience. She gasped, not realizing she had been
holding her breath, and panted while she tried to breathe at a normal rate.

He turned on robust
legs and strode to a guitar stand. She tore her eyes from him to note the other
gargoyles. They, too, had shifted into the form of striking males. One had
black hair draped further down his back, one had long blond hair, and two had
reddish-brown hair—one wavy and shaggy, the other straight. They took their
place at other instruments. She sought the guitarist again and caught the first
sound of the pick striking the strings. On hearing the guitar projected through
the amp, the crowd roared again, pressing Kayla forward.

The freak show was
about to begin.

Spotlights flooded
the musicians, powered by solar panels near a massive amplifier. The guitarist
continued playing and the others joined in, playing a raucous crossover between
hard rock and heavy metal. The one with long blond hair grabbed hold of the
microphone and belted out a shattering cry that sounded like a call to battle.
The crowd went pin drop silent to listen and then cheered in unison as the band
played on. The front man sang piercing growls and low croons about the Knights
in Stone, the protectors of the ancient forests, battling against the evil tree
witches.

Lisa Carlisle is a USA Today Bestselling author of romance
and suspense. She loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and independent,
caring heroines. Her travels have provided her with inspiration for
various settings in her novels, including deployments while she served in the
Marines. She lived in Parris Island, the California desert, and Okinawa, Japan.
She also backpacked alone through Europe, and lived in Paris, France, as an au
pair before returning to the U.S. and buying a book store. She now lives and
works in New England with her husband, two children, a cat, and many
fish.

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About Me

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello has written nineteen books in several genres, including nonfiction, memoir, romance, erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and articles on writing. She has also contributed to several bestselling boxed sets. Learn more about her books at her site, suzdemello.com.